Packaging Innovations 2015: Inspiration and Technology

Near the end of February we visited Packaging Innovations 2015, an event run by Easyfairs which was held in the NEC in Birmingham. The event encompassed three exhibitions; Packaging Innovations 2015, Empack 2015 and Label & Print 2015.

It was a great, busy day and there was lots going on at the exhibition. The show has tripled in size since it first began, meaning there were over 350 exhibitors and 6585 visitors this year! There was a lot to see, so we took our video camera and got some footage to document the day and talk about what we hoped to gain from Packaging Innovations 2015.

Floor plan showing the enormity of this year’s Packaging Innovations Show

Why did we attend Packaging Innovations 2015?

Our primary goals of attending Packaging Innovations 2015 were to network, look for potential suppliers and maybe even meet new customers. We were looking for a particular type of machinery that would be useful for us to fulfil numerous enquiries, and got to observe advanced technology working in the process.

1. To find new equipment for our factory

We focused our attention in the Contract Pack area of the show as this is relevant to our company and what we do.

We have been looking for a new labelling machine, so we set out with an idea of which companies we wanted to speak to about our options. We visited numerous exhibitors and were able to check out labelling machines to find out what type of labels they could produce, whether they were suitable for our customers and our needs, and whether they had a good output rate to keep up with large orders.

Some of the machinery on display was fantastic, so we took video footage where we could, which we’ll upload to our YouTube channel soon. It was interesting to speak to suppliers about the technicalities of their equipment, to find out what they do and how they work.

A demonstration of a bottle labelling machine at the show

2. To network and check out innovative packaging and technology

Events such as Packaging Innovations 2015 are always good networking opportunities. This year, we visited the BCMPA lounge as we’re a member and wanted to have a chat about the show to some of the people running the BCMPA stand.

We also visited companies we’ve done business with in the past to catch up. We often pass on other companies’ names when we get enquiries that we can’t fulfil and in return, companies do the same for us. This is why it’s so useful to get to know people and find out their strengths and abilities.

On our hunt for a new labelling machine, we found a range of different labelling methods on display so visitors could find the company that exactly matched their needs – whether this is labelling round bottles, direct printing onto a bottle or stamping two sides of a container simultaneously with a label.

One stand we were very impressed with was a 3D printing stand. There were 3D printed objects on display in a cabinet and we could see a range of 3D printers at work. The representative at the stand was happy to talk to us about some history of 3D printing, how the equipment works, and how 3D printing technology has developed. For example, in the early days, 3D printed models were somewhat stringy and kept falling apart but this malfunction has now been largely overcome.

A 3D printed motorbike at Packaging Innovations 2015

3. To find some inspiration for Making Cosmetics 2015

We wandered around stands in the show and evaluated how well they worked (or didn’t work) to try and get some inspiration for our own exhibition stand at Making Cosmetics 2015 at the end of March.

Mike and Rich at an eye-catching stand at the show

We wanted to find out which features of stands caught our attention and which didn’t encourage us to walk over and explore more. We found some unusual stand designs which would probably attract lots of visitors, such as one that looked like a stream of labels being inputted into a machine, and one with a huge balloon showcasing the company’s logo that could be seen over the top of all the other stands.

We were also attracted to stands that had their products on display that we could take a look at, ask questions about and even take some free samples home with us. This insight will greatly contribute to the way we design our stand at Making Cosmetics.

We’ve got a number of exciting events lined up in the next couple of months. Want to stay informed of these? Simply sign up to our newsletter for weekly updates about ReAgent news and events in the chemical industry.

Posted by: Amy Hawthorne

After graduating from Lancaster University in 2013, Amy joined ReAgent in early 2014 as a Marketing Assistant. She is responsible for creating regular blogs and managing ReAgent's social media accounts, as well as producing video content as part of our online marketing plan. Read more posts by Amy »